1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for riddling bottled wines in cases, and more particularly to improved devices for supporting and vibrating a tiltable frame upon which cases of bottled wine are supported.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the making of fine wines, and particularly in the making of champagne, which is fermented in the bottle, it is necessary to remove all suspended solids and sediment in order for the wine to have a sparkling, clear appearance. This sediment is the natural result of the fermentation process and includes yeast and other solid matter, often in the form of extremely fine particles which would impart a cloudy appearance if left in the wine. The process of removing such sediment from bottled wine has come to be known as "riddling".
The traditional method of accomplishing riddling involves manually grasping each bottle, pulling it part way out of the supporting rack, rotating the bottle approximately 90.degree., and thereafter slamming the bottle back into the rack with sufficient force to cause the desired action. The purpose of riddling is to deposit all of the yeast and other solids at the outlet of the bottle so that they may be removed later. Removal of the accumulated sediment from the bottle is conventionally accomplished by freezing the neck of the bottle, removing the temporary crown cap, ejecting the frozen slug of wine containing the sediment and solvents, and then corking the bottle.
Attempts have heretofore been made to utilize mechanical apparatus for accomplishing the riddling of bottled wines. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,056,014 discloses a rack formed for spinning rows of bottles, these racks being adapted to tilt the bottles from side to side and to vibrate the rack and the bottles thereon to accomplish riddling. These rack methods are considerably less labor-intensive than the original hand method. However, the bottles still must be placed in temporary cartons and placed in position on the rack, then removed one-by-one from the racks when the riddling function has been accomplished and returned to the temporary cartons for transporting to neck-freezing and disgorging apparatus.